Moving curtain machine for educational and advertising purposes



NOY..-15, 1932. H, Q DENSLQW 1,887,803

MOVING CURTAIN MACHINE FOR EDUCATIONAL AND ADVERTISING PURPOSES Filed May 23,: 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 In ventor fifisnry aflerzslaw His Attorney Nov. 15, 1932. H. c. DENSLOW MOVING CURTAIN MACHINE FOR EDUCATIONAL AND ADVERTISING PURPOSES Filed May 25, 1930 2 ...v e m l $2 3 a v wa h s 2 I'z'g 10.

Inventor flemry'afienslaur fly \%6%M 463's Affornqy Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES HENRY c. nmTsLow, on BROOKLYN, irnw-Yonx j MOVI G. CURTAIN macnmn ron EDUCATIONAL im Anvmrrsme rumosns Application filed May 28, 1930. Serial No. 455,095,

My invention relates, to: moving-curtain machines in which rollers operate in conunction with a moving and pausing display curtain bearing a, lengthy showingofpic tures, consecutive lessons,. expanding :developments or progressive story events tobe read and viewed by many and often; at a distance. i f I Exhibitors have been known of. rolling 1? ribbons, stripsor bands but not adapted mechanically for very wide and very long moving curtains and the objects of my invention are, first, by means, of double cooperating curtainsto make possible ready exchangeability of the outer display curtain; second, to provide roller mechanism on whichvery long wide curtains will not creep sidewise and bind; third, to make practical great length and also width of'display in an upright shallow case; fourth, to have regulatable timed pauses as needed for the better reading or View of the displays fifth, a pro vision for checking thecurtain at any point for talks upon the portion in view; sixth, provision for self-stopping-at the end 'where the beginning title appears: again at the top shouldno one be interested in continuing it or viewing it further; seventh, .to have regulable curtain speed. p

A practical need wasfelt for this machine and as' nothing for the purpose could be found in use or on the market. I took up inventing and constructing and gave thorough and successful trial to this machine in actual use with results that indicatea practical and attractive new device for the classroom, foyer, hallway, museum, show window, bulletin board, etc. -All the related past devices showed that difierent mechanics, providing lower roller. flexibility of movement was needed inorder to have this entirely new large size of curtain display.

Wide curtains function when narrow curtains cannot because of a lack of visibility 4 and readability at adistance, but wide curta'ins are inclined to creepsidewise and bind. This difficulty is overcome on the following principles: wide curtains should hold upv lower rollers as though they were simply hanging in downward curtaincloops, so free to turn over, to rise and. t0. fal1',,and': solighi? in weight that Widev cu'rtains-,.. due. to sid pressure of lower roller: flanges can easily shift beneath lower, rollers; whenever 11.9. 135?- sary and thus curtainscan keep aligned with top rollers.,, My result of; priaoticalgliefidabilz ity is obtained ,.not simplythrollgh difieiience n: size of curtains, but throu, h; newstruc: ture as described below in detail making large size possibleJ By having the elemenhof; weight vtdkeep. certain taut situated only-within. ev ry low roller, and by having practicallyno.friction, upon axles ofv said; rollers fromttache weight or springs, I obtain maximum ease of rolling By confining essential; fixedspaik. ing of said rollers only to very lighthanging axle-bars soiloosely retained in axle-bar-holjders that said axlebarsi1rone way movement pull of curtain operations,,t011chisaid holders 710,: only attop front: portion o x e-haul ga most flexible rising andfalling movementof lower rollers, essent al because0funevenn SS of curtains or of protruding exhibits on surfaceof outer c-u1'tains;;I a so gai saidfie ibility of movement mostfree in rear rollers wheremost needed and least. free ahi 'bn rollers, givingmost tautness of curtainacross show face; where most, needed taut, By, having suspended in lower loops of curtains aligned, easy turning-,pol shed ro lers. su ficiently lightsoicn-rtai sican when; n ce sary shift below any lower rollers thus realigning curtain again. with flannel faced upper rollers and bigrough-surfaced driving rollers y t ws. a shi ting from: side pressure of lower roller flanges, against curtain sufficient to safeguardwide curtains from1 creeping sidewise on lower rollers and (1011,- bling or fraying at edges or eventually binding, r

I also found that double endless curtains were necessary in order to obtain a; ready exchange of'display; curtains. By means of 7 double cooperating endless curtains, each different in material, structure and function from'the other curtain but combining for one end; first, an inner curtainwith both: ends fastened together and. sealed, serving. as guide-curtain whenever achangeofoutercur- I necessary and greater tensile strength and more even lay of surface, both due to being made endless; also the outer curtain is of difi'erent material from the inner curtain and suitable for drawing, lettering, painting, and otherwise decorating for display.

. Figure 1 is a view of a moving curtain machine showing a preferred form of embodiment of my invention with certain parts shown in section, others in elevation and with portions of various parts indicated as broken away to better show arrangement of structure.

stantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view partly in section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of an operating lever and portions of certain of the parts with which it is shown associated in F ig." l. I Figure 5 is a detail view in perspective of a stopping button arranged to project from the face of the curtain.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of superposed curtain fabrics on line 6-6 of Fig. 1 and shows a form of clasper for holding the two curtains in register.

Figure 7 is a sectional view on line 77 of Fig. 1. V

Figure 8 is a sectional view on line 88 of Fig. '1. Y I

Figure 9 is a sectional view on line 99 of Fig.2. 7

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of an electric circuit for controlling operation of the machine. 1 I Referring to the drawings, a moving curtain and mechanism for actuating it are enclosed within the casing 1 which is-provided with a glass front 2. Secured to the inner side walls of the case are blocks or cleats 3 in which are formed bearings fort-he axles of rollers, as the largemain roller 4, intermediate guide rollers 5 and 6, and lower guide rollers 7, 8 and 9. The large main roller 4 supports a major portion of the multiply curtain 10 and frictionally engages itin driving relation. About the guide rollers 5 and 6 the curtain passes in upward loops 11 and 12 thereby forming the downward loops 13, 14 and 15, within which are'sus pended tensioning rollers 16, 17and 18. The guide rollers 7, 8 and 9 serve to separate cer- Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view subtain adjacent runs of the curtain and prevent interference therebetween. In order that they may freely perform their function of tensioning the curtain the axles of the tensioning rollers are freely journaled in aligning floating axle bars 19 and the latter are also permitted considerable freedom of bodily movement by retaining guides 20. As shown, all except the guide rollers 7, 8 and 9 are provided with, curtain retaining end flanges.

The structure of curtain 10 includes the outer ply 21 and inner ply 22. Each of these plies'isjoined toitself to form an endless band with a transverseseam which comprises a strip 2.3, as of flexible steel, folded into its respective end of material, stitches 24 securing'each fold with its strip included, tie members 25 surrounding adjoining folds andenclosed strips, and sealing tapes 26 cemented over the joints thus formed. At a suitable number of places, the superposed plies of the curtain are secured together by the staples of claspers 27. i

Means for driving the main roller 4 include the motor 28, reduction'gearing indicated by 29, a belt pulley30 and a belt 31 whichpasses around the pulley and also around. a grooved end flange of said roller. As shown, the roller driving means may be housed in a separate compartment at the top of the casing. In a similar adjacent compartment there is shown a motor and associated mechanism for establishing driving and non-driving periods for the rollerdriving motor 28. This second motor32, through reduction gearing indicated by 33, drives an interrupter for controlling the roller driving motor 28. Said interrupter 34-by which is determined the duration of alternate periods of curtain rest and movement, includes the worm 35, which engages and drives the worm wheel 36. Associated with the worm wheel are a series of nonconductor segments 37, as of mica, and conductor segments 38. Segments of either or both materials being adjustably secured to the worm wheel so that alternate areas of conductor and non-conductor surface of difierent extent are available. Adapted to contactwith these areas under slight spring pressure is a conductor drag 39 which interrupts current in the motor circuit.

Two switches 40 and 41 are provided (see Figs. 1 and 10) for control of the electric current including the motors 28 and 32, the interrupter 34, and the rheostats 42 and 43 respectively for said motors 28 and 32. The switch 40 has associated therewith an operating rod 44 which is provided with a spring 45 attached to an eyebolt 46. A ferrule, notched as at 47, is secured to rod 44 to re ceive a detent 48 at one end of a rod 49,'which at its other end is pivoted to a lever 50 fulcrumed in. brackets 51 at the top of thecasguided by a fixture-52 secured to the casing. For :the purpose of urging the detent toward the ferrule and for also moving a free arm 53 of lever 50, into the path of astopping button 54 which is secured to the curtain, a spring 55 is attached to the lever and anchored to the casing. As a guide for the free :arm 53 of lever 50 a slotted member 56 is attached to the casing. From its open position,switch 40 may, through rod 44, be moved by :a hand lever 57 to its closed posit-ion,

which after the switch is locked in closed the switch by a rod 59.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is,

1. Anexhibitor including 'in combination, a casing, a flanged roller journaled within the casing, an inner curtain supported upon and adapted to be driven by the roller, a display curtain overlying and removably secured to the inner curtain, a series of rollers comparatively remote from the driving roller and about which the associated curtains are adapted to pass in downwardloops, roller means journaled within the casing, interposed between the driving roller and the remote. rollers and about which the associated curtains are adapted to pass in upward loops, oppositely disposed axle bars within which the remote rollers are journaled to thereby form bodily movable frames, and retaining boxes secured to the casing and adapted to receive respective ends of axle bars in an arrangement adapted to permit bodily movement thereof within certain limits.

2. An exhibitor including in combination, a casing, a flanged rollerjournaled within the casing, a curtain supported upon and adapted to be driven by the roller, a series of rollers comparatively remote from the driving roller and about which the curtain is adapted to pass in downward loops, roller'means journailed within the casing, interposed between the driving roller and the remote rollers and about which the curtain is adapted to pass in upward loops, oppositely disposed axle bars within which the remote rollers are journaled to thereby form bodily movable roller frames, and retaining boxes secured to the casing and adapted to receive respective ends of axle bars in anarrangement adapted to permit bodily movement thereof within certain limits.

The ferrule and detent'. are suitably a casing, a flangeduroller journaled within .3. An exhibitor including in combination, a casing, a flanged roller journaled within the casing, a curtain supported upon'and adapted to be driven by the roller, ,a series of rollers comparatively remote from the driving roller, entirely free for universal bodily move- 7 ment relative to the casing and about which the curtain is adapted topassi-in downward loops, roller means, journaled within the cas-' ing, interposed between the driving roller and the remote rollers andabout whichzthe curtainis adapted to pass in upward loops, and means for maintaining the axes of the remote rollers infixed relation to eachothen' p 4. An exhibitor including in combination,

the casing, a curtain supported upon and adapted to be driven by the roller, a seriesof rollers comparatively remote from the driviing roller and about which, the curtain is adapted to pass in downward loops, roller means journaled within the casing, interfposed between the driving roller-and the remote rollers and about which the curtain is adapted to pass in upward loops, means for relationto each other, and means for permitting the remote rollers .to move bodily at either end as agroup.

5. In an exhibitor, -in combination, a casing, a flanged roller journaled in the casing, an endless curtain supported and driven by the roller, anti-friction means for supporting depending runs of the curtain, anti-friction weighting means suspended entirely by the curtain within the downward loops'thereof, and guide rollers journaled in the casing adjacent the anti-friction weighting means.

6. A strip of material with end edges thereof united by a joint to form an endless curtain said joint comprising substantially to I maintaining the axes of remote rollers in fixed abutted folded endedges of the material, a

reinforcing strip associated with each of said folded edges, tie loops including therein both abutted edges and both strips, and a protecting tape secured over the tie loops and the joint included by said tie loops.

7. A pair of endless curtains of substanwards through the outer curtain and being clinched over the surface of said curtain.

I 8. A pair of endless curtains of substan-zii tially equal length with one of said pair overlying the other, each of the curtains comprising a strip of material with the end edges thereof united by a separable transverse joint, and metal staples incorporated within .thesurfaces of the innercurtain, the P011158 of said staples extending through the surface of said outer curtain. p

9, A-n ;-8Xl11b1t01 including in; combination,

outer curtain andbeing clinched cover the an endless display curtain, a roller for supporting and driving the curtain, an electric motor for driving the roller,- a switchv for controlling the motor, a rod associatedwith the switch, automatic means r'or actuating the rod to open the switch, means for moving the rod to a position to close the switch, a. spring actuated detent for holding the rod in switch closing position, and means associated with the curtain for withdrawing the detent and thereby permitting the switch to be opened by the automatic means.

10. An exhibitor including in combination, an endless display curtain, a roller for supporting and driving the curtain, a motor for driving the roller, a rotatable circuit interrupter for starting and stopping the motor, a second motor for rotating the interrupter, a switch'for controlling the second motor, a lever for actuating the switch, and an elongated link interposed between said lever and the switch. V

11. An exhibitor including in combination, an endless display curtain, a roller for supporting and driving the curtain, a motor for driving the roller, a rotatable circuit interrupter for starting and stopping the motor, a second motor for rotating the interrupter, a switch for controlling the second motor, a rod associated with the switch, automatic means for actuating the rod to open the switch, means for moving the rod to a position to close the switch, a spring actuated detent for holding the rod in switch closing position, and means associated with the curtain for withdrawing the detent and thereby permitting the switch to be opened by the automatic means.

12. An exhibitor including in combination, an endless display curtain, rollers for supporting the curtain in upward loops of spaced runs, rollers for tensioning the curtain freely suspended in downward loops,a motor for driving one of the curtain supporting rollers, an interrupter for controlling an electric circuit including said motor, a second motor for driving the interrupter also included in said circuit, and a switch for controlling said circuit.

13. In an exhibitor, in combination, a casing, a flanged roller journaled in the casing, an inner curtain supported upon and adapted to be driven by the roller, a display curtain overlying and removably secured to the inner curtain, means for separably joining ends of the display curtain, similar means for joining ends of the inner "curtain, antifriction means for supporting depending spaced runs including downward loops,

rollers suspended entirely by V the curtain within the downward loops, and oppositely disposed bars with which respective ends of the rollers are pivotally associated in a manner to permit either bar to move bodily with i the rollers or to partake of a rotative movement about the axis of any one of said rollers. 15. In an exhibitor, in combination, a cas ing, a curtaln mounted therein and disposed in spaced runs terminating in upward and downward loops, rollerssuspended entirely by the curtain within the downward loops, and oppositely disposed bars with which respective ends of the rollers are pivotally associated in a manner to permit either bar to move bodily with the rollers or to partake of rotative movement about the axis of'any one of said rollers.

16. An exhibitor including in combination,

an endless display curtain, a roller for supporting and driving the curtain, a motor for driving the roller, a circuit interrupter for starting and stop ing the motor, said interrupter comprising rotatable elements and a stationary element, means for driving the rotatable elements, and means for permitting adjustment of the rotatable elements with reference to their respective durations of contact with the stationary element.

' HENRY G. DENSLOVV.

runs of the superposed curtains, anti-friction 7 means suspended entirely by. the curtains within the downward loops thereof to tension a the same, an electric motor for driving one of the curtain supporting rollers, a switch for controlling the motor, a rod associated with the switch, automatic'means for actuating 

